Mournful season that delights the eyes: Pushkin’s Readings was held at MAI

From 7 to 9 September, 2018 at the recreation and training center of MAI “Yaropolets” was held a scientific conference “Pushkin’s Readings”, dedicated to the 206th Birthday Anniversary of Natalia Goncharova.

30 years ago representatives of the Museum and Exhibition Complex of MAI founded the Pushkin Society and, since then, have being organized literary and scientific conference, dedicated to one of the greatest poets of Russia Alexander Pushkin.

The choice of a place for the conference was not made by an accident. Today’s “Yaropolets” was once a family manor house of the Goncharov family, from which Pushkin’s wife Natalia originated. Alexander Pushkin had visited this house for a few times. In 1959, the territory of Russian nobility Goncharovs’ and Chernyshevs’ country estates, located in the village of Yaropolets near Volokolamsk, Moscow region, was transferred to the balance of MAI.

Two times in a year students and specialists of MAI, artists, writers, scientists and lovers of poet's works come to “Yaropolets” to discuss scientific reports, dedicated to Pushkin’s creativity, read poetry and play the music. The first date of the meeting is Pushkin's birthday on June 6, and the second meeting is the birthday of Natalia Goncharova on September 8.

The program of “Pushkin’s Readings” was very rich, and divided into three parts: scientific, cultural and sightseeing. Special guests of the conference were great-granddaughter of the poet Yulia Pushkina and National artist of Russia Victor Nikitin.

Traditionally in “Pushkin’s Readings” took part international students of MAI. This year was no exception. Two students from Egypt were participating in the conference. Ahmed Gamal Mahmoud Arafa, a third-year student of Spacecraft Engineering Faculty, prepared a report on the topic “Alexander Pushkin in Egypt”. He told that there are three monuments of Pushkin in Egypt and one of them is located in the famous Alexandria Library, which was installed in 2011. Mahmoud Emam, a student of Propulsion Engineering Faculty, red the Pushkin’s poem “Autumn” in Arabic and then in Russian.

“A the first glance you will know how beautiful is the place, and then you will fall in love with people and nature, that surrounds the former country house of Goncharov family. The atmosphere was very friendly at the conference. Such meetings are not only about entertainment, we learned a lot of interesting information, related to Alexander Pushkin”, - shared his impression Ahmed Gamal Mahmoud Arafa.

During the Pushkin’s Readings participants visited Joseph Volokolamsk Monastery and the Museum of Bible. At the end of the conference Yulia Pushkina gave the Pushkin Society of MAI a family tree of the Pushkin family. Every participant received a conference certificate.

“International students of MAI traditionally participate in the Pushkin’s Readings. They read poems of the great poet in French, Arabic, Chinese, English and other languages. It is really very interesting experience. In-depth acquaintance with Pushkin's creativity helps them in the study of Russian language and culture. In the Pushkin’s room of the Goncharov estate is incredible acoustics. Young people like to speak to specialists and deservedly receive their approval . Perhaps next year we will hold the Pushkin’s Readings in winter at the Museum of MAI”, - said Chairman of the Pushkin Society Anatoly Zhdanov.